Angel stared at Alex with a guilty expression on her face. She never realized how much he loved her until Christy threatened her.She believed it would only get harder if she stayed by his side. So, she shook her head, "I'm sorry, Alex but I need to go."Pulling her hand away from his hold, she got up and began to walk out of the room. However, Alex got up as well and hugged her from behind.As his lips touched the back of her neck, she swallowed. Her heart began to race, and she knew that if she didn't leave at that moment, she would not be able to.She turned, intending to push him away and say some harsh words, as she believed he would only let her go if she got him upset.However, he caught her face before she could speak and whispered, "I love you, my Angel.""But I don't..." Her words were silenced as his lips suddenly plastered onto hers.At that moment, Angel felt weak in the knees and was unable to push him away.She dropped her bag and her hands went around his back as she k
In the morning, when Sarah woke up, she washed her mouth and came out of the guest room where she had spent the night. She saw Ashton all dressed up for work, seated in the dining, with the table already arrayed with food. "Good morning," she said cheerfully. "You made breakfast?" He smiled, "Yeah, I figured you may have been traumatized by what happened last night, and even though you tried to act tough, it probably causes you nightmares. I count myself a tad responsible, so I decided to do something nice for you this morning. Hopefully, it'll help a little." She smiled, "Wow! Thank you, I'm really touched. But you didn't have to. I mean, I'm a good cook, and I should be the one making meals for you, right?" He shook his head, "You don't have to go through the trouble. I'm a good cook and that aside, I have a few domestic staff. They come in every evening and make sure everything is prepared for me, so I can cook the next morning. I like to make my food." She raised h
After eating, Sarah got ready to leave and asked the bodyguards to take her to her house. When she got home, she noticed that her house had been vandalized and her mind immediately went back to what happened the previous night. She concluded that it was the handwork of Pamela and her goons. Accompanied by her bodyguards, she put the house in order and packed up some of her clothes and important stuff she needed before returning to Ashton's house. She was happy to be in his house, but a part of her felt guilty because she knew that her feelings towards Ashton were not platonic, whereas he merely saw her as a partner in the game he was using to teach Percy a lesson. After bringing her things home, she stopped by the hospital and spent time with her Mom. She was relieved to see that her Mom's health had improved a lot and the hospital was a private one. Due to Ashton's orders, she was almost not allowed inside the room. It was only after Ashton gave his consent over the phone
Angel sat in her office, feeling sad, because she had slapped Alex. She kept recalling the night they had spent together, the first time she had slapped him in her office, and all the hurtful words she had said to him. She felt terrible and wished that there was a different way she could push him away, without hurting him. "I'm sorry, Alex," she said sadly, as she placed her head on the table. She had no desire to do any work and that was why she even ignored the secretary she had fired the first day she arrived at the company.She wanted to give herself time to grief for the love she had enjoyed for a short moment. Meanwhile, at this time, Alex was pacing up and down in his house, thinking about the best action to take. In the end, he settled down and called his cousin, Ashton. "Hey! See who decided to remember me today," Ashton exclaimed when he answered the call. Alex scoffed, "Why? Am I supposed to remember you every day? C'mon, man, it's not like I'm your boyfriend or some
Percy sat in her office, anxiously checking the time. Her heart pounded in her chest; she was about to come clean to Ashton, and she knew the outcome might not be in her favor. Finally, the message arrived. Ashton had texted her that he was at the nearest café—the one closest to his office—and asked her to meet him there. Quickly adjusting her makeup, she grabbed her bag and left. Meanwhile, Sarah was still at Ashton’s company, waiting as he had instructed. At the café, Ashton found a quiet corner seat and sat down. When Percy entered, she spotted him immediately and hurried over, sitting across from him. "Coffee?" he asked, his voice neutral. She shook her head, her expression tense. "No, I just… I need to tell you something. It’s important." "Okay, I’m listening." She took a deep breath, but before she could speak, tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. "Are you alright?" Ashton asked, his brow furrowing. "What’s going on?" Percy wiped her tears
After leaving Christy and her father, Alex felt an overwhelming sense of relief, as if a tremendous burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders. He wanted to see Angel but mulled over how best to approach the situation. A smile crept onto his face as he came up with an idea. He called the judge handling her divorce case, who, coincidentally, was a friend of his and had helped expedite the process at Alex's request. During their conversation, Alex learned that Angel’s divorce had already been finalized. All that remained was for her to collect the official documents from the judge. "Please make sure she’s informed to pick them up immediately," Alex urged the judge, who assured him that Angel’s lawyer would be contacted right away. With that settled, Alex prepared himself and drove to the court. He parked a short distance away, choosing a discreet spot where Angel wouldn’t notice him. From his hidden vantage point, he waited. Meanwhile, Angel, having just received the l
After leaving Ashton's company, Sarah returned to his house and quietly entered the guest room he had given her.She silently began packing the bag she had brought earlier that day, fully aware that now that Percy had come clean, there was no reason to stay in Ashton's home or continue pretending to be his girlfriend.She chuckled softly to herself. "Funny. I just moved in, and now I'm leaving already. I thought I'd have more time with him… but I guess not."Once she finished packing, she placed the bag in the living room, then decided to do something kind as a way to say thank you and goodbye. Heading to the kitchen, Sarah prepared a delicious meal, uncorked a bottle of wine from his collection, and set the table elegantly with glasses.Afterward, she changed into a stunning, alluring dress and carefully applied makeup, waiting for him in the living room.It wasn’t long before Ashton came home. After leaving Percy earlier, he had driven far away to find a quiet spot to be alone. He h
After Alex drove away, Angel sat in her car, her mind racing with a whirlwind of thoughts. She couldn't shake the nagging doubt creeping into her heart. "Did Alex really mean everything he said?" she wondered, staring blankly at the dashboard. Despite the excitement she felt from his words, there was still an unsettling feeling of uncertainty gnawing at her. She was happy that Alex had assured her everything would be fine, but the lingering worries about Christy and her family weighed heavily on her mind. "Did Alex really take care of them?" she questioned silently. As much as she wanted to believe him, there was a part of her that feared for his future. She couldn’t help but feel responsible. What if Alex ended up losing everything because of her? The thought of that happening made her feel sick with guilt. But then again, Alex had insisted that things wouldn’t go wrong. He had been so sure, so confident. Could she trust him? "Can I really be with the man I love?" The very idea bro
TROY After two years, I was back in the Scandinavia, the place that took everything from me. I had rented the whole beach for the evening because I wanted to be alone. I stood by my once favorite beach in Oslo and closed my eyes as memories from the past flooded my mind; Her beautiful smile, and the warmth of her body, pressed against mine as we stared at the stars together. Aislinn was everything to me until she was snatched away so cruelly. I opened my eyes and stared at the water, hoping its calmness would soothe my turbulent heart. All of a sudden, something caught my attention. Floating and approaching from a distance, I tried to make out what it was. I took a few steps closer, dipping my legs into the water. I gasped when I realized it was a person; a woman, and judging by the way she looked, I knew she was dead. I turned and wanted to leave but a question struck my mind; what if she wasn't dead? What if Aislinn was in a similar situation and needed help? Would I have
MARIANNE If it weren't for the date and time stamp on the video, I would have thought Paula was lying to me. As I watched the video, everything began to piece together in my head. I recalled when Tony had first approached me for a relationship. I had refused his advances, especially since I had just clocked eighteen, but Britney kept encouraging me to give him a chance, claiming we were perfect for each other and would be together forever. Back then, I was amazed at how Tony and I had the same tastes, interests, and even fashion sense. I believed he was truly destined for me. Only after Paula's revelation did I realize that Britney had planted him in my life and told him about my likes and dislikes. No wonder he seemed so perfect in my eyes and I ended up falling in love with him. They deceived me for so long and plotted my downfall. The false testimonies from my secretary and Tony's sister finally made more sense to me. I felt so much anger surge within me and a deep yearn
MARIANNE Everything felt like a dream. Just like that, I had been condemned for something I never did. My only crime was being too kind and trusting the wrong people. As I was being transported by ship along with a few other prisoners, the judge's words echoed in my ears, "This court finds the accused; Mrs. Tony, guilty of first-degree murder and sentences her to life imprisonment with hard labor in the Norwegian Island Prison. I recalled the triumphant look on Britney's face as I was being taken away and could not understand what I ever did wrong to her. When I met her so many years ago, I had just finished high school. Being the daughter of the richest man in the city, I lived in affluence as opposed to her who was struggling to get by. I saw her working as a waiter at a party and took her side when a guest treated her disrespectfully. We got close from that night and I got to find out that she had no family. She was an orphan who had to work from a very young age just to
MARIANNE I sighed in relief as I thanked Britney repeatedly. "There's no need to thank me," she expressed. "You are my best friend and I will do anything for you." The next morning, just as my lawyer had promised, I was arraigned before a judge. I had been restless throughout the night as it was my first time being in a cell. I tried not to cry because I knew it wouldn't help my situation. I convinced myself that I was just unfortunate. I never should have married Tony. After the judge questioned me, I took a plea of not guilty. My attorney didn't seem pleased by that but I didn't care. No one was going to make me admit to something I never did. Since it was my first appearance, I expected that I would be granted bail and allowed to show up in court from the comfort of my home during the preliminary hearings. I planned to get the best lawyer for myself once I was released on bail and got access to my phone. However, nothing like that happened. The judge allowed a ten minut
MARIANNE At the police station, I was cuffed and kept in a dimly lit room with four chairs, one table, and a window. I was exhausted and my eyes were puffy from crying. Even though Tony cheated on me, he was the love of my life and I could not believe he was no more. In a flash, I had become a widow; the youngest I knew because I had just turned twenty, a month ago. The three policemen sat in front of me, questioning me as though I were a common criminal. "Don't you know who I am?" I asked. "I own foundations, charity organizations, and free hospitals. I help people, not hurt them. No matter what, I could never murder a man I loved with my life." "Stop beating around the bush and answer the damn question!" One of the policemen yelled at me, slapping his palms on the table. I didn't have to be a police officer or a lawyer to know that what the men were doing was not standard procedure. They were biased toward me and I had no idea why. "I won't speak any more until my lawye
MARIANNE I stepped on my brake pedal and gave myself a minute to catch my breath. My hands were shivering and I felt chilled to the bone. I still could not believe what I had just seen. I opened my phone and watched for the umpteenth time, the pornographic video that had been sent to me anonymously. My husband of almost two years was in bed, having sex with a woman that wasn't me. His face was revealed in the video, while hers was concealed. The only thing I could make of the woman was her slender wrist and the gold bracelet around it. It seemed oddly familiar but I could not remember where I had seen it. For two years, I believed my marriage was the best in the world because my husband, Tony adored me and worshipped the ground I walked on. I was the richest woman in the city and my company, RAY INDUSTRIES was the number one in the country, yet, my happiest moments were the ones spent with my husband. That was how much I loved him. How could he betray my trust? Hands still
SYNOPSIS "My husband walks about freely, lavishing my fortune, with his mistress by his side, while I am condemned to spend the rest of my life in an island prison for his death. If this is my fate, I will fight it until my last breath."~~~ MARIANNE Betrayed by the ones she trusted most, Marianne finds herself convicted for a crime she did not commit. In a desperate attempt to change her new reality, she ends up at the brink of death but gets a second chance in Troy; An unusually sexy billionaire willing to place the world at her feet. Marianne swears she is done with men and love, and her life's goal is revenge against those who wronged her. But why does her heart race uncontrollably at the sound of his voice? ***His hands reached out, framing my face as his fingers caressed my lips. I closed my eyes when he cupped my breasts and his lips settled on the crook of my neck, lavishing it with kisses until I was breathless and wet beyond control. "Troy," I panted and my eyes flung
In the morning, Ethan woke Cila up from his bed and calmly asked her to leave his bedroom and stay away from it. As she walked out of the room, she stood by the door, staring at Ethan who was watching her leave. She wished she could turn back the hands of time. If she hadn’t tried to take Laura’s place and planned for Laura to catch them in the act, Ethan would still be meeting her behind Laura’s back. She wouldn’t feel so alone. She would still have him—if only she hadn’t been so greedy for more. She had no clue Ethan was secretly seeing Laura again. He came home early, spent most of his free time with her. Little did she know, Ethan had been stealing moments with Laura during their lunch breaks, meeting at the small apartment he had rented temporarily for her. The joy of those stolen hours made time fly for them, but each day weighed heavier on Ethan’s heart. He kept counting down the days, marking them on his calendar, waiting for the moment he could bring Laura back home
"Shh......," Byron shushed Laura as he moved closer to her, cupping her face and attempting to kiss her once more. This time, however, he was met with a sharp slap across his face. The sting of it made him pause, his hand instinctively reaching for his cheek as he glared at her. "So, you’d rather sit here, pining away for a man who’s off fucking your best friend, instead of giving me a chance to make you happy?" he spat, his voice dripping with bitterness. "You know what, Laura? You deserve everything that’s happening to you. You’re foolish, indecisive, and weak. You deserve to be ditched by your husband and betrayed by your so-called best friend." The words cut through Laura like a blade, each one more painful than the last. Byron stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Laura remained standing, her legs suddenly too weak to hold her up. She sank to the floor, the weight of his words pressing down on her. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sobbed uncontrollably. "Do I reall